BREAKING. Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) calls for all executive positions at SABC to be filled permanently by September.

The public pressure group Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) is demanding that the SABC board and the minister of communications, Roy Padayachie, ''live up to their stated commitment to have all executive positions [at the SABC] filled by competent candidates by September 2011''.

''The SABC requires vision from the top, and this cannot be achieved whilst people are in acting positions,'' says the SOS that represents a vast number of trade unions, independent producer organisations, academics and freedom of expression groups and institutions in South Africa.

At an emergency meeting held by the SOS the pressure group reiterated its stance that a policy review culminating in a new broadcasting act for South Africa is crucial and needed as soon as possible. ''The policy review needs to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the oversight structures, the SABC board and management to ensure clear lines of accountability and to safeguard the editorial independence of the SABC from all vested interests. The minister of communications needs to move swiftly on this review,'' says the SOS.

The SOS is also concerned about the lack of commissioning of new local programming by the SABC the past two and a half years on South African television. ''Requests for proposals (RFPs) for local programming have been repeatedly delayed for the last two years,'' says the SOS. ''Repeats and foreign content dominate our screens. The meeting thus called for the SABC to speed up their internal processes and to release these RFPs.''

The SOS asked that the SABC ''ensure that it improves its communications with all key stakeholders and that it will also ensure greater transparency in terms of its operations.'' The SOS asked that the ''department and ministry of communications move swiftly to launch their broadcasting policy review process'' and that it be ''an open, transparent and consultative process and all key stakeholders will be consulted.''